Interventional Cooperative Agreement Program - Vocational Intervention Demonstration
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: State Counselor-Coordinated Services, Center Facilitator-Coordinated Services.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Spinal Cord Injuries, Brain Injuries, Employment, Spinal Cord Diseases. Basic parameters: 18 years — 62 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
Unsure about the terms? Read our patient guide →
Overview
For many people with spinal cord injury or brain injury, seeking employment after injury is an important goal. There are services available to help people with disabilities. However, the best ways to coordinate and deliver these services are not yet known. This project will compare two ways of coordinating and delivering services that are designed to help people with spinal cord injury or brain injury obtain employment.
Detailed description
Employment is important for financial security, social connection, and life satisfaction. Unfortunately, rates of unemployment remain high among people with spinal cord injury (SCI) and brain injury (BI). To help address this challenge, the investigators are conducting a single-site, randomized, controlled trial to compare two programs intended to increase rates of employment among people with SCI or BI. In one program, services are coordinated by a counselor employed by the New Jersey State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, a state-based agency that assists people with disabilities who are interested in pursuing employment. In the other program, services are coordinated by a facilitator who is employed by the rehabilitation hospital at which the participant receives inpatient care. Services provided in both programs will be customized to the participant's needs and goals. Services will begin in inpatient rehabilitation and may include education, therapy, equipment provision, counseling, and other interventions.
The project will enroll 500 participants who are interested in becoming employed or returning to work. Information about employment status, earnings, benefits use, community participation, and health will be collected through a combination of surveys, medical record review, and information available in state and federal administrative databases. Analyses will examine the rate of participants employed at 1 year after enrollment in each group, time to employment, earnings, benefits usage, community participation, and well-being. Findings from this study will be used to determine which ways of delivering services are most effective in enabling employment, and to provide information to help other rehabilitation centers adopt effective programs.
Interventions
- Other State Counselor-Coordinated Services
A counselor affiliated with the New Jersey State Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services coordinates services that consider the participant's condition, needs and goals. Services they may receive include: * Education on programs designed to help people with spinal cord injury or brain injury pursue employment. * Advice and guidance from professional counselors who have special training in helping people with disabilities pursue employment. * Help completing applications for services. * A - Other Center Facilitator-Coordinated Services
A facilitator affiliated with Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation coordinates services that consider the participant's condition, needs and goals. Services they may receive include: * Education on programs designed to help people with spinal cord injury or brain injury pursue employment. * Advice and guidance from professional counselors who have special training in helping people with disabilities pursue employment. * Help completing applications for services. * Assistance communicating with
Primary outcome measures
- Employment Status [Time frame: 12-months post-enrollment]
Secondary outcome measures (6)
- Earnings [Time frame: 12-months post-enrollment]
- SSI and SSDI Benefit Applications [Time frame: 12-months post-enrollment]
- SSI and SSDI Benefit Awards [Time frame: 12-months post-enrollment]
- Job Satisfaction [Time frame: 12-months post-enrollment]
- Satisfaction with Services [Time frame: 12-months post-enrollment]
- Self-Reported Health and Well-Being [Time frame: 12-months post-enrollment]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Adults aged 18-62
- New Jersey resident
- Admitted to Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation (KIR) due to a spinal cord injury (SCI) or brain injury (BI)
- Receiving inpatient rehabilitation at KIR
- Community living in the state of New Jersey after discharge from KIR
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Double blind
- Primary purpose
- Other
Study locations
Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
Identifiers
NCT: NCT05508802 · L-1171-21B